Flu cases are widespread in Missouri and the number of cases in Warren County so far have surpassed last year’s total reported cases.

Health experts recommend that people take efforts to protect themselves and their children in case the season has not yet reached its peak. 

LuAnn Bumgarner, RN, is the public health nurse for the Warren County Health Department. She said last year’s flu season started in February, as with most years, and 92 cases were reported. 

This year, she said, “We have 184 reported cases so far.”

By the week ending Feb. 18, Bumgarner had received 103 reports for the season so far. Between Feb. 19-25 the number increased by 81 cases. Bumgarner said it was the biggest jump she had seen all season long.  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that people can get the flu from October to May. Peak flu season is from December to March.

Bumgarner said the flu hits at different times each year. Still, 40 percent of the time, flu hits in February. This year, she said, the first cases were reported the week of Christmas.  

This flu, she said, is mostly hitting children ages 5 to 14.   

Bumgarner suspects there have been more people with the flu than has been reported.  

“Not all cases are reported,” she said. “A lot of people know they have the flu and they just stay home and treat the symptoms.”  

Last year the last reported case of the season was in April, she said. She suspects that this could be the peak for Warren County’s flu season, and people should still take precautions. 

If the flu is caught early enough, people can take a prescription antiviral medicine to calm the symptoms and shorten the duration of the flu. But catching the flu early is a challenge because the symptoms resemble other maladies. 

Also, people can be contagious one day before they experience symptoms, she said. 

Bumgarner said flu prevention is a better approach. 

“It’s important to get your flu shot, and it’s not too late (to get one),” she said.  

Dr. Cindy Leahy, a Mercy Clinic physician who practices in Warrenton, said most people will have the flu and be OK, but some people are at risk for serious illness and death. 

The risk is greatest for the very young, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems, such as those with lung disease. 

“The seasonal flu comes with a fever of 102 or 103, severe body aches, chills, sore throat and runny nose,” Leahy said.

The seasonal flu is often confused with the gastrointestinal flu, she said, which includes stomach discomfort, vomiting and diarrhea. She said that is a different virus and it doesn’t have a preventative shot.

To avoid viruses, she added, people should avoid exposure to contagious people, wash their hands often and cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing. 

She said a flu shot is the best defense. 

The flu shot takes two weeks to be fully effective. People may feel some soreness at the injection site, Leahy said.  

She noted that if people feel sick after getting a flu shot, it’s not from the shot. More likely, they were exposed to a virus before they got the shot or during the two-week period that it takes to be effective.